


Something in Return

by evergreenstringbean



Series: Always Starting Over [1]
Category: Bandstand - Oberacker/Oberacker & Taylor, From Here to Eternity (Musical)
Genre: Because i'm trying to keep Maggio ic, Bonding, Cherrypicking canon, Friendship, Gen, Ignoring Canon, Maggio is Bi don't @ me, Spoilers for FHTE, Tw they say the q word a few times
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-14
Updated: 2020-01-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:27:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22247839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/evergreenstringbean/pseuds/evergreenstringbean
Summary: The band is exhausted after a nationwide tour. Jimmy most of all. A night at the Blue Wisp sounds like a good idea to relax.Turns out Jo has hired someone new.
Relationships: Donny Novitski/Julia Trojan, Jimmy Campbell & Angelo Maggio, Jo (Bandstand)/Original Female Character(s), Jo Davis/Morgan Wilson
Series: Always Starting Over [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1700851
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11





	Something in Return

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so this is just my secret plan to get you all to watch From Here to Eternity by jamming my favorite character in here.
> 
> Also this can be read as platonic or romantic I tried not to make it shippy then halfway through I was like "well damn" so yeah
> 
> This is also my first work in actual months I know it's not fantastic but it helped with my writer's block

As fun and worthwhile as it was to be touring the country, the Donny Nova Band was beyond relieved to be arriving back in Ohio after months of sporadic schedules, sweet yet energetic fans, and several parties and dinners that all seemed a blur. All seven of them shared fulfilled smiles despite the dark circles under their eyes as they pulled into the station.

Out of all of them, there was no doubt that the most exhausted of them was the sax player barely keeping his eyes open. On top of playing shows with the band, he also made it his obligation to read the fine print on all contracts and documents that crossed their paths. After the trauma of the radio contest, he didn’t really trust venues or agents to give them all the information they needed, so he took it upon himself to confirm everything was in order. While that did ease everyone’s nerves, it also drained Jimmy of what little energy he had remaining. He was fully prepared to return home to his stack of law books rendering him useless now that he’s already received his degree. He still keeps them around though, just in case he needed something to look up or needed something to focus his attention on rather than memories.

The train slowly came to a stop, and the band was on their feet and gathering their luggage in no time. Jimmy watched as his friends all chatted about future plans, once they all had some time to recuperate, all the while thinking about what he was going to do once he finally made it back to his place.

As it turned out, the answer was nothing. He got home, unceremoniously tossed his luggage onto his sofa, then made a beeline for his bedroom. He was in and out of sleep for the next day and a half, only getting up to water his plants, go through all the mail his neighbor had been nice enough to bring in for him, and do necessities like showering and eating. It was day three into his sloth habits that his phone began to ring. With a sigh that unnecessary given that even though he was still mentally exhausted his body was wide awake, he stood from the bed and made his way to the living room. 

“Alton four eight seven seven three.”

“Hey Jimmy, it’s Donny. How’s your vacation going?”

Jimmy looked over to his still fully packed suitcase, pulling a face at how his fatigue had overpowered his typical desire to keep his home relatively sorted and organized. Late nights studying were done, and he didn’t want to go back to the mess of opened books and crumpled papers. “Enjoying the time to reflect. How are you and Julia? Living together going well?”   


He swore he could hear Donny’s smile over the phone as he replied. “It is. Everything’s fantastic. We’re all actually planning to go out to the Blue Wisp tonight. Visit with Jo and the regulars. Are you coming?”

“Sure. I told Jo I’d come by when we got back anyway. Morgan’s been asking to see us,” Jimmy answered easily. If he had to stay in his house alone for much longer his relief for time to himself would turn to dread real fast. “What time are you thinking?”

“Eight o’ clock. Leaving your instruments at home. I already let her know we’ll come by to play another night.”

“Got it. See you all then.” After goodbyes, Jimmy looked back at his luggage and shook his head. It was finally time, after several months, to stop living out of a suitcase.

**_~*~_ **

The scene at the Blue Wisp was bustling as always. Once the doors opened and everyone was allowed inside, it typically stayed pretty active until last call. Jimmy met the rest of the band near the bar, hugging Julia and greeting everyone with a smile. 

Someone tapped on his shoulder and he slowly turned around, the sight of a smiling woman standing before him. “Jo!” He pulled her into a hug, beyond excited to see one of his closest friends again after way too long. Jo, equally as excited to see Jimmy, hugged him back and kissed his cheek, careful not to smudge her lipstick. 

“How’s America’s favorite swing band? Cutting loose after a year on the road?” she asked as she pulled away, hearing a chorus of halfhearted cheers. Wayne specifically, who still looked like he was ready for a nap at any given second.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jimmy saw a man off to the side of the barroom, mopping up a spilled drink. He’d never seen him around before. A short, good looking Italian man with well combed hair. He looked about Jimmy’s age, though his short stature and youthful face probably had a factor in that. And he almost looked...lonely. Tired. Not physically, but like he had experienced things that made his endurance of life dwindle down. It was the look of a military man. Jimmy had enough experience with that look to know.

“New employee, Jo?” Jimmy asked when the band’s conversation cut short, gesturing over to the man as he finished his mopping and returned to the bucket. 

“Yep. Been here for a couple months. He moved here from Queens. I think you’d all get along quite nicely, hang on- Angelo!” she called out over the sounds of the patrons and the music from the house band. The man set the mop in the bucket and leaned the stick against the wall before making his way over to Jo, a smile taking over that tired look Jimmy had been studying.

The man stuck his hands in his pockets as he approached. “Place is packed tonight. Think I’ll be able to talk a lady into a dance?” he asked, earning a chuckle from the woman.

“Who’d turn down the Italian Stallion?”

“Ah, well, you’d be surprised. Not many girls lining up for the janitor.”

Jo shared a look with him before looking back to the rest of the group, and that’s when Angelo’s eyes met Jimmy’s. It was only for a second, and the shorter man’s smile never faded, but Jimmy felt off by it. “Angelo, this is-”

“How could I not recognize the Donny Nova Band?! Angelo Maggio, pleasure to meet ya all.” He went about shaking everyone’s hand, everyone introducing themselves by name as they did. And then it was Jimmy’s turn, offering a small grin and an introduction of his own. 

Angelo glanced at his watch only for Jo to tell him to take a break. Besides, it was too crowded to do much cleaning at the moment anyway. So he took a seat at a barstool and ordered a drink. “Hey, you probably get this a lot but that radio contest, oh boy that was one helluva show.”

“You serve?” Donny asked, straightening up a bit in his seat. 

“Private Angelo Maggio. twenty-fifth, G Company. Based in Schofield in forty-one.”

Everyone, including Jimmy tensed a little at that. Schofield was in Hawaii, in 1941…

“Schofield, so you were there for-”

“Ah- nah, I was outta there a few weeks before that. Got an injury I couldn’t shake, sent home,” Angelo replied, cutting Nick off from his statement. Though, Jimmy noticed something was off by that answer. He’d avoided eye contact, spoke into his glass rather than clearly like when he was normally answering.

He was lying.

“Twenty-fifth infantry…they were shipped over to help out in Solomon Islands,” Donny stood up from his barstool and crossed his arms, surprising Julia with his willingness to speak more in detail about the war. “You said G Company? Sergeant Warden’s outfit?”

Angelo perked up from his hunched over stature and nodded, setting his half empty drink down on the bar. “That’s the one! Wow, surprised Top never got caught by Dynamite, huh.”

“What do you mean?” Jimmy asked, relatively quiet before then.

“Nothin’, never mind.” There was silence through the group as Angelo finished his drink, pulling out a deck of cards held together by a rubber band. “You fellas know how to play cards?”

**~*~**

It was the first time any of them really spoke about their time in the war without closing off. Probably because this time they were telling cheerful stories rather than the ones that still haunted them. They talked about dumb antics among their squads and closest buddies, and through the night Angelo became more loosened thanks to the drinks. 

After several rounds of poker, with the man cleaning up every round even against Davy of all people, they group dispersed to go socialize with other bar patrons. Jimmy, always the one to want to learn more about a person, stayed back with Angelo at the bar. They talked about their lives growing up and in the war, sharing random stories that popped into their minds. He sipped slowly on his Manhattan as the shorter man was in the midst of speaking, as animated as a kid asked about their favorite activity.

“So I’ve won my sixth game with Clark and Bloom, I take my money and Bloom tells me to deal again. I tell him I’m done and he asks if I’m quittin’ winners. Can you believe that? Of course I was! Dumb shit didn’t know how to gamble worth a damn. Like taking candy from a baby. And Prewitt-” Angelo fell silent, looking away and becoming intensely focused on his glass. “He kept me from blowin’ my top and knockin’ him off his ass. Great guy. Damn good soldier. Best one in the company.”

Jimmy was starting to pinpoint where the look in Angelo’s eyes was coming from. At least, he thought he was. “He was still in service when you went home, right? Maybe you can look him up. Where’s he from?”

“Kentucky.” Angelo downed the rest of his glass and turned to look at Jimmy, sighing and looking back at the empty glass. “Know how I said I left ‘cause I had an injury I couldn’t shake?” Jimmy had no idea how to reply, so he just nodded. “Well, that’s kinda true. Got the shit beat outta me. By an MP. Got sent to the stockade. Sent home on section eight after three months.”

He didn’t look sad or even hurt. He looked cold about it, like those three months had hardened him into an emotionless man who couldn’t show fear or pain. It made sense to Jimmy. The torture was probably even worse for Angelo. Hell, it was probably still bad for him. People weren’t too kind to folks like him, which Jimmy knew was far too unfair. Angelo, as much as Jimmy had gotten to know, was witty and charming and surprisingly kind after all he’d been through. 

But a discharge under that section confused Jimmy. “Section eight? Isn’t that for-”   


“Queers. Yeah,” he answered, keeping his voice down so nobody could hear him over the band. “I ended up in the stockade ‘cause I got caught at a bar on Waikiki Beach. Just needed some extra cash so I went to talk sweet.”

Jimmy felt squeamish by the conversation and took another swig of his drink. “So, uh, are you-”

“No. I ain’t,” Angelo answered quickly. “Ain’t got a problem with it, I mean. Nice fellas. I like ladies though.”

“Some like both,” Jimmy said before he could catch it, earning a confused look from the man before he continued. “That’s what I’ve heard.”

“Yeah. Some like both.” It was some kind of confirmation between them. Angelo returned to his story. “Anyway, I got back to Queens and tried picking up odd jobs around there. Kinda hard to get a respectable job when you’ve got official papers callin’ you mentally unfit. My little sister got married outta high school. Her and her husband decided to move out here to Cleveland to start a family. I wasn’t getting anything out of New York anymore. Needed a fresh start, so I moved here to be close to her. Not too long after that I came here for a drink, me and Jo got to talkin’ and boy does she know how to get your whole life story out you.”

“Don’t I know it.” Jimmy smiled and glanced over at Jo, who was at the other end of the bar sharing drinks with Morgan. “She’s very persuasive. Especially when she’s around people- uh, people like us,” he said cautiously, hoping he had picked up the signals correctly.

Angelo’s brow raised for a second until it seemed to click. “Oh, you’re like her?” Jimmy flinched a little at the wording, not necessarily the tone before the man followed it with, “Not that I got a problem with it! Like I said, I met nice guys like that. Sweet guys.” He paused for a second, playing with the empty glass in front of him. “Don’t think it really matters who someone loves. Just as long as they’re happy, y’know? We’re all just lookin’ for love. Harder for some than others.”

That hit Jimmy deep. After loving and losing like he did, he understood just how hard it was for someone to find love, especially someone like him. Like Jo. Like Morgan. Like Angelo. “So...were you and Prewitt…?”

The question made Angelo laugh bitterly, asking the bartender for another round. “Nah, he fell for this girl workin’ at the congress club. Prew was smitten as soon as he saw her. Love at first sight and all that.”

“I see.” Jimmy really understood now. It made perfect sense. They’d both lost love, but at least Jimmy had gotten the privilege of actually getting to love and be loved first. At least he hadn’t been heartbroken from the get go.

They were both incredibly similar, but entirely different all the same.

**~*~**

Last call and closing came by sooner than later, and the patrons all left almost as quickly as they’d come in. The band stayed behind a little longer to say goodbye and good night, and to help Davy out the door. 

Jimmy had decided to stick around and talk with Jo and Morgan, discussing the excitement and frustrations of a nationwide tour and making plans for them to stop by his place so he could give them the souvenirs he had bought for them while he was away. Angelo was cleaning the place up, every so often engaging in the conversation with witty remarks and banter as he mopped. All too soon it was time for everyone to go. Jimmy walked up to the shorter man as he stuck all the cleaning supplies back into the side closet. 

“You know, I get what you mean. How it’s harder for some people to find love than others. Sometimes it’s...damn near impossible.”

Angelo stood up straight, hands back in his pockets and a soft smile played on his lips. “Don’t mean we stop tryin’, though.”

Jimmy grinned in return, nodding as Jo and Morgan walked towards the front door. He and Angelo followed out into the chilly night air, the street eerily quiet after the doors were shut and locked. “Do you need a ride home?” he asked, the other shaking his head.

“Nah, I just live a couple blocks away. Not worth the drive.”

With that, the sax player walked over to his car parked on the street. His hand barely touched the door handle before his lifted his head to look at the man making his way down the dark, quiet sidewalk. “Angelo!”

They made eye contact and shared hopeful smiles. “We don’t stop trying.”

“Damn right, we don’t.” 

Jimmy’s drive home was peaceful. New thoughts were bouncing around in his head, new information about a new person and new questions he’d like to talk about the next time they met. Angelo was such an interesting man to meet. He liked to have fun, liked to make people laugh, but still had the ability to get serious when it came down to it. 

All in all, his first night back in public after the stress of a tour was well worth it. He fell asleep that night feeling confident about the future. Confident to learn more about the energetic man he’d befriended. One thing was for certain. His trips to the Blue Wisp were going to become much more frequent.

**Author's Note:**

> If you wanna watch from here to eternity here's the proshot
> 
> https://drive.google.com/open?id=1WG4n6PsWR81t7cCbAGwycPEDlkCm3Nol
> 
> Talk with me about it on Tumblr: @allin-ev-itable


End file.
